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Ecology
Ecology Winter Coats.jpg Forest Flora.jpg Summer Coats.jpg Ecology (from Greek: οἶκος, "house", or "environment"; -λογία, "study of") is the scientific analysis and study of interactions among organisms and their environment. Topics of interest to ecologists include the diversity, distribution, amount (biomass), and number (population) of particular organisms, as well as cooperation and competition between organisms, both within and among ecosystems and even smaller biomes. Ecosystems are composed of dynamically interacting parts including organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living components of their environment. A biome is a community of plants and animals that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in. "Biome" is a broader term than "habitat"; any biome can comprise a variety of habitats. The world of Shelter 2 has a rich ecology, with each of the four maps functioning as a whole ecosystem, and showcasing smaller biomes within. The cycles of life and the changing seasons are represented in the abundance or shortage of prey and predatorshttp://shelter-2.wikia.com/wiki/Other_Animals in these biomes. On the hardest difficulties (survival mode, with hazards on from the Mountains DLC), it is important for the mother lynx to become a part of her environment. She must move her cubshttp://shelter-2.wikia.com/wiki/Cubs with the prey, knowing how to avoid areas hit hardest by winters chill, and areas of plenty with summers bounty. Each map, and each biome, offers unique rewards, and unique challenges, at different times of year. While it is possible (and satisfyingly challenging) to raise a generation of cubs in a single biome, it is usually preferable to move the cubs from biome to biome within one or two environments (maps) in a generation. World Overview Matte Winter.jpg Matte Summer.jpg Matte Spring.jpg Matte Fall.jpg WorldMapTest1.png|World Map - Test? Valley (Main/Big Tree/Den) Map Environment Overview Terrain A northern valley, shaped by the movement of glaciers. The elevation climbs significantly in the north-eastern corner and decreases in the south-western corner. There are many rock formations, presumably glacial deposits. Bodies of water are few, almost all are in the north-western corner near the Tundra Pass, and a few ponds in the Birch and Boreal forests. Flora Fauna Prey * Rabbits * Voles * Pheasants * Frogs * Eggs ** Waterfowl (Ground, Near Water) ** Owl (Up in Trees) Predators * Foxes * Eagles * Bears? Dangers & Challenges * Forest Fires * The Lonesome Fog * Predators - Danger: Low/Medium * Starvation Risk - Low Biomes Grassland Terrain *Shallow hills and open plains, wide-spaced rock deposits. Flora *Sparse, rocky pine thickets, tall grasses, summer wildflowers. Fauna *Prey **Rabbits (Common Year-Round. Bountiful in Spring/Summer) **Voles (Common Year-Round: Bountiful in Spring/Fall) **Owl Eggs (Uncommon in Spring) *Predators **Eagles (Common Year Round) **Foxes (Uncommon Year Round) Challenges *Winter famine can be more deadly, due to lack of larger prey and stamina expenditure from chasing prey in the open field. Eagle attacks are common, due to lack of underbrush. This also serves as an advantage however, as it makes rescuing cubs less problematic. Foxes are a common threat on the edges of the grassland where it is more wooded. Foothills Terrain *Rocky with steep altitude changes. Glacial alpine hills. Flora *Coniferous sub-alpine forest. The northern, higher elevations (presumably just below the tree line) are studded with Krummholz-form trees. The southern, lower elevation slopes are lusher. Fauna *Prey ** Rabbits (Common Year Round, Bountiful in Summer/Fall) ** Voles (Common Year Round, Bountiful in Spring/Fall) ** Pheasants (Common Year Round) *Predators **(No Data) Challenges *Prey can be scarce at the highest elevations of this biome in winter, but populations of rabbits and voles remain stable year-round in the lower hills. Boreal Forest Terrain *Rough and rocky, with many shallow ravines and hills. Flora Fauna *Prey **Rabbits **Voles **Pheasants *Predators **Foxes Challenges *Fox attacks are common, and deadly. Rescue attempts are difficult with dense underbrush, rocks, and uneven terrain. Foxes are especially well camouflaged in autumn and early spring in this biome. Lightning strikes can cause brush fire here. Due to the frequency of autumn storms, and the foxes seasonal camouflage in its native territory, this biome is especially dangerous in the fall. Birch Forest Terrain *Rough and rocky, with many shallow ravines and hills. Flora *Thick underbrush and bushes between birch and pine. A young forest. Fauna *Prey ** Rabbits (Common Year Round) ** Voles (Common Year Round. Bountiful in Spring/Fall) ** Pheasant (Uncommon Year Round?) ** Waterfowl Eggs (Rare Year Round?) *Predators **Foxes (Common Year Round) Challenges *Fox attacks are common, and deadly. Rescue attempts are difficult with dense underbrush, rocks, and uneven terrain. Foxes are especially well camouflaged in autumn and early spring in this biome. Lightning strikes can cause brush fire here. Due to the frequency of autumn storms, and the foxes seasonal camouflage in its native territory, this biome is especially dangerous in the fall. Marshland Terrain *Mostly flat and open, with shallow stagnant pools of water. Flora *Weeping birch, thick underbrush of reeds and sedges. Fauna *Prey **Rabbits (Uncommon Year Round, Common in Spring/Summer) **Voles (Uncommon Year Round, Common Summer) **Frogs (Bountiful in Spring/Summer) **Waterfowl Eggs (Bountiful in Spring/Summer) *Predators **Foxes (Uncommon Year Round) **Eagles (Rare Year Round?) Challenges *Food is scarce in winter, and survival here during this season is not recommended. However, it is an incredibly bountiful area for food in the spring and summer, allowing kits to thrive and adolescents to survive. Foxes can be an issue here, especially in the fall and spring as they will be well camouflaged, however, rescue attempts are often successful, as the terrain is mostly flat and open. Lake (Three Trees) Tundra (Arctic, WIP) Terrain * Varies. When you first enter the Tundra you arrive in a snowy field with plateaus and shrubberies all over the place. This also applies to the north area of the Tundra. However, in the very center, there is a glacier, a small stream, and a mammoth carcass with a tusk in the pond. The tusk is a collectible. The area limits to the west with a lake that does not freeze in colder months. There is also a sabertooth cat den and a skull to the southeast of the Tundra. Flora Fauna ' ' Prey * Moles/Lemmings/Voles * Chamois (Or generalized, Deer) * Rabbits * Nests Predators * Polar Bears * Wolves * Foxes Challenges * Food is hard to find and at any time you can get attacked by Predators and all of them are located in the Tundra. Survival during this season is heavily not recommended, especially if your cubs are still young. Again, prey is very hard to find and if you do manage to catch any, it's likely first you'll run in with wolves, foxes, or bears. Mountain (DLC) Notes This page is still being worked on, which is why the lake and mountains have yet to have data.